


Sound

by Sharky



Category: Persona 4
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-12-01
Updated: 2013-12-01
Packaged: 2018-01-03 02:31:54
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,498
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1064688
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sharky/pseuds/Sharky
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Her voice was soothing. It calms her as much as it made her stomach twists. She wasn’t letting the words sink in, but remembers her voice.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Sound

Her heart pounds loudly in her ears. Naoto stared at the creaking ceiling above her and she gasped, her lunges trying to get as much air in as they can, but it never seems enough. At the edge of her vision, she can see red and orange, flames licking at the walls of the warehouse and black fumes escaping from the cracks of the ceiling. She knew it’s rather unlikely the black smokes will be the end of her, but the cracks provide oxygen in and the flame… the flame she isn’t sure. Nor the constant sound of straining far above her.

Her left arm and both her legs are in agony and it’s obvious to the detective why, even with her blurring vision: piles of debris have trapped her legs up to her waist and her left arm is broken, lying on the side uselessly. Strangely enough, her body wasn’t in that much pain otherwise, slowly going numb.

But it’s becoming painfully apparent she’s not escaping from this one.

In a way, she’s not nearly as displeased at the thought. She had succeeded in closing down a massive children and infants trafficking network. It took months of work, years of attempts from many detectives across the globe and finally, it’s complete and the network will be no more. In a way, she feels… almost worth it.

At the same time, she’s scared. Terrified. Dying alone in the middle of nowhere like this had always been a nightmare-ish scenario…

Gulping down what would otherwise be a sob, Naoto uses her free hand to dig through her shirt pocket. She hopes it’s still in tact…

It took a moment of struggle but she eventually pulled out a mobile phone in a pale blue case. Quickly, she dialled to the emergency services. It’s a last ditch effort. Something in Naoto’s mind tell her it’s too late. It’s far too late.

And maybe the operator can tell too. She told them she’ll be hanging up, she have another call to make and they let her. Emergency services usually keep them on the line to reassure them, but Naoto thinks it might be her tone or voice that gave it away.

Hanging up, Naoto took a glance at her phone. The wallpaper was of a certain red-haired idol, whom also happens to be the one that got her the protective case as a gift. Turning the phone around, Naoto spend a moment to stare at the small sticker in the middle. A picture of them, during a happier time back in the small rural town. Despite herself, she smiled, trying to will her voice to neutrality for the upcoming call.

The number came naturally to her, her thumb just remembers it by muscle memory at this point and she can’t be thankful enough for it. Her hand was shaking so hard, she wonders how she manage to keep the phone to her ears, listening to the dial-tone as the ceiling overhead groaned again and the flames licking higher still.

"Hello hello~" A familiar voice sounded from the other end. Naoto thinks that’s what angel should sound like.

"Hi…" Naoto started, and heard a gasp from the other end.

"Oh my God Naoto, is that you?" She closes her eyes and imagines it, the fading images of cracked ceiling and fire replaced with Rise standing in her dressing room, twirling her hair idly in an attempt to calm her excitement down. It brought a smile to her face, even as tears start leaking out from the corner of her eyes.

"Hi Rise. N-no reason. Just thought I’ll… check up on you." She took in a deep breath and tries, tries as hard as she can, to not break, but as the first tear curved its way down her face, she knew it was futile. "I missed your voice."

Silence. A pause. “Naoto… what’s the matter? What’s going on?” Concern, a hint of fear. Naoto can just imagine her eyes, such a bright joy dimmed by worry, brow wrinkling together to strain her ears, listening for anything else. “Naoto, talk to me. What’s happening?”

Naoto swallowed, her throat felt so tight, she can’t make a sound for a moment. Another deep breath, trying to force her own airway open. It only worked partially, a sob escaped and she clenched her jaw shut to prevent another. “N-nothing… I just missed you.”

"I don’t believe you…" The ceiling creaked loudly, something from above made a thunderous snapping sound. Naoto didn’t bother opening her eyes, keeping her mind focused on the phone, on Rise, on remembering everything she is. "Naoto, what’s that sound? Where are you?!" Panic. Rise volume rises and Naoto imagine she’s making a shushing gesture to everyone else around her.

"I’m…" She wants to lie, she really wanted to lie. Keep Rise out of this, but knew the idol will know immediately. She always knew when Naoto was hiding something. "… at a warehouse. Hey, remember that promise I made about attending your next concert?" She remembers that vividly. She doesn’t know what made her promise that, but the resulting smile that reached all the way to her eyes made it all worthwhile.

"Yea…" Now her voice is wavering too, and there was a slam, a door maybe. There is silence in her surroundings, she gained proper privacy, Naoto thinks. "Yea, I remember…"

She opened her mouth, but another sob escaped. She swallowed, but they came like a flock. It’s all becoming undone. “I’m sorry, I don’t think I can make it.” She answers in between, then chewed on her lips hard. Her hand shook so bad, so tiredly by her head, she almost wanted to drop the phone. “I’m really sorry…”

There was no answer from the other end. Sounds though, harsh breathing and something like a slap. Naoto can see it again, eyes closed all this time, that she’s now sitting down on a chair in her dressing room, a hand over her mouth. She’s breathing just as hard as she is. Naoto imagine she’s crying silently, can almost see the tears, can almost taste them but knew ultimately she’s own tasting her own.

"But Rise…" She continues, the ceiling creaking again, louder this time, almost closer. There is a layer of dust falling on top of her. There isn’t a lot of time left. There is no siren, nothing of any other living beings around except the one on the other end of the phone. She’s all that mattered at this point. As it always had been, all the way back in Inaba. She’s always the one that mattered and it’s Naoto’s only regret in her life. "Rise… can I request a song from you now? To make up for how I won’t make it for you concert?"

There was no answer again. Just breathing, shuffling. Sobs behind a hand and tears. Tears Naoto wanted so desperately to stop but knew she can’t. Knew she won’t ever be able to even try.

"O-of course Naoto-kun." She answers at last. The silence felt like an eternity. "Wha-what would you like to hear?"

She’s trying to be brave and that’s enough to make Naoto smile. She’s strong. Rise had always been strong, no matter how little she thinks of herself. Naoto knew she’ll be okay. Naoto hope she’ll be okay.

"Anything you want. I just want to hear your voice…" The cold hard lump refuse to fade in her throat and now a similar one is forming in her heart. It’s harder to breath, harder to talk, harder to hear, leaving only the sound of her own heartbeat, of Rise’s voice on the other end and of the creaking ceiling that’s about to come down any moment. "Just sing for me…"

Naoto can see her nod underneath her eyelid, tears and trying to force her voice to work but not quite succeeding.

The first few words were wavering, pitches that’s too high, but it eventually mellow out into a song. Naoto can’t be sure what it is, she haven’t heard all of Rise’s songs but it doesn’t seem to be an old one.

Her voice was soothing. It calms her as much as it made her stomach twists. She wasn’t letting the words sink in, but remembers her voice. She can see her, Rise with her eyes closed, couching by the table of her dressing room, tearing falling down her cheeks and huddling, pressing her phone to her ears so hard it’s turning red and singing a song with no tune but to her own erratic heartbeat.

And the image brought a small smile to her face.

"Rise?" She interrupts quietly, and the singing pauses just for a moment. "I love your voice… don’t ever stop for anyone."

Silence, far above her, the ceiling made another loud snapping sound.

"I love you. Goodbye." And with that, she snapped her phone shut and held it to her chest as everything came to a quiet end.


End file.
